Free Entrance to the National Parks Jan. 14-16

I love visiting the America’s National Parks! In fact, when we travel, I always check the map to see if we’ll be near any of these amazing places so we’re sure not to miss it.

Entrance to many of the National Parks are free all the time but several times a year you’ll find free admission at ALL National Parks and one of those days is right around the corner.  January 14 –16 (Martin Luther King, Jr. weekend) will kick off the first of 2012’s free entrance days at the National Parks.

Other 2012 dates you’ll want to remember:

• April 21-29
  National Park Week
• June 9
  Get Outdoors Day
• September 29
  National Public Lands Day
• November 10-12
  Veterans Day weekend

Discounts are also offered from these park partners:

• National Park Hospitality Association
• National Parks Promotions Council

Start Planning Your Visit to one of the 397 National Parks today!

What is your favorite National Park to visit?

Flight 93 Temporary National Memorial- Shanksville, Pennsylvania

It’s doubtful that many of us have forgotten what we were doing ten years ago when we heard that planes had flown into the twin towers of the World Trade Center. Or that another had crashed into the Pentagon. And yet the terrible news that one more plane had crashed into the Pennsylvania countryside- perhaps connected to the terrorist attack that gripped fear on our nation as rumors of the possibility of other planes circulated throughout the news media.

I purposely chose not to watch TV that day. I didn’t want my children to see the images that were so graphically described by the news media.

As sad as the story of Flight 93 is, it is also a success story. It is a story of brave men and women that realized that they could fight back. Passengers that are now known as heroes. They weren’t going to allow their flight to be used as a weapon by the terrorists that fought to cripple our nation. And so Flight 93 soared through the beautiful Pennsylvania countryside and crashed not into the United States Capital, the presumed target, but into a farmer’s field just outside a tiny town called Shanksville.

This past July, on our way to NYC, my son and I stopped to visit the memorial of Flight 93. I’m not sure what I expected. What I found was a peaceful field where visitors speak only in hushed tones, honoring the 40 passengers and crew members that died in that crash.  

This simple building that has served as the temporary visitor’s center was the official Command Post during the investigation and recovery phased of the hijacked United Airlines Flight 93.

Inside the visitors center we found pictures of  the passengers and crew members on board the plane, the story of Flight 93 and the other terrible events of September 11, 2001, what the final memorial will look like and a wall where you can share your thoughts.

Across from the makeshift visitor center is a path that leads to a view of the field where the plane crashed.

You can see the area that was littered with media personnel for days following the crash.

And you can see the spot near the tree line where the crash occurred. The area was searched for remains for days and then at the coroner’s request, the crash site was filled in with dirt and scattered with the seeds of wildflowers. 

The Ranger told me they have no idea how many people visit the memorial each day,  but as the 10th Anniversary of September 11th approaches they see more and more.  Some come simply to try to understand the events of that day nearly ten years ago. Some leave something behind in the chain link fence that blocks access to the field. The same fence that served as the only memorial for years after the tragic event.   

There are now three phases of construction planned for the Flight 93 National Memorial- though it may be years before each is completed. The initial phase includes a new approach road, an Arrival Court and Memorial Plaza where visitors can view the crash site while leaving the site untouched. It will open this weekend. 

                                             The new Arrival Court under construction

The next phase includes the building of a visitor’s center while the final phase will include the construction of the 93- foot Tower of Voices, a wind chime that will symbolize the voices of those passengers that died on United Airlines Flight 93.

As I drove by the site of where the new access road will be, which will lead to the new, permanent memorial, my son and I saw this angel.

An appropriate welcome to the memorial, don’t you agree?

Field Trip Friday: Pea Ridge National Military Park

Today I’m welcoming my dear friend, Lana, as my first guest poster. Since I’m busy packing for a getaway, I’m grateful for her willingness to share her experience to Pea Ridge National Military Park in Arkansas.

We met Lana and her family when we first arrived in Alabama and though she’s since moved with her family, I still love to hear about the many outings she takes with her children….plus she e-mails me and tells me about the places in Arkansas that she thinks my family will enjoy!

Pea Ridge National Military Park sits a few miles outside of Rogers, Arkansas. I can't tell you how many times I have passed the park entrance in the eleven years of living in Northwest Arkansas but I have never had the desire to stop until the last year or so. We were living in Alabama and had taken the kids to see a reenactment of the Battle for Decatur. My daughter enjoyed it so much that in my mind I knew we just had to attend the one held at the Pea Ridge National Military Park. However, we missed the reenactment held there this March.

On a recent trip to Northwest Arkansas, I decided that we would just ride out to the park and enjoy the day. I was so glad we did. I love when spur of the moment trips turn out so good!

Upon entering the Pea Ridge National Military Park visitor center we were greeted by a Park Ranger who asked if the kids wanted to participate in the Junior Ranger Program. I have a friend (that would be me! ) who had told me all about these programs and I was dying to try one out.

So the kids and I walked around the exhibits filling out the questions. We stopped in to watch the orientation film that was already in progress and I was quiet impressed that the kids watched as much of it as they did. It was almost over when my 7 year old got fidgety and cried out, "Why? Why did they have to die!"  It was then that we made our way to the car to begin the seven-mile road tour through the park.

Sadly, you can not enter the tavern.

There are 10 points of interest on this battlefield. (I had no idea that the Trail of Tears ran right through the park but I was intrigued). We stopped, ever so briefly, at most of the stops. It was hot! The children and I loved the East Overlook, "...the best view of the battlefield in the park."  They also loved Elkhorn Tavern that was used as a "field hospital caring for both Union and Confederate wounded" during the battle.

Pea Ridge National Military Park contains 4,300 acres. An orientation film and exhibits are available in the Visitor Center. A seven-mile tour road provides access to the battlefield and stops at important points of interest. This park has numerous outdoor recreation opportunities, including, walking, jogging, bicycling, picnicking and equestrian riding. There is an entrance fee that is collected in the visitor center. Living history programs are offered during the summer. Their battle reenactment is held the weekend closest to March 7th and 8th.

You may be wondering how my children liked the Junior Ranger Program. They loved it. They had to answer a few very easy questions and as we drove through the park they had a checklist of things to mark off as they saw them on the tour. They were so proud of their Junior Ranger badges. Unfortunately, my daughter left hers at the Buss Stop a few miles north of the park. If you ever get a chance to get an ice cream cone from the Buss Stop, I highly recommend a large. Yes, they come in sizes.

Becoming official Junior Rangers

What Civil War battlefields have you visited?

Interested in linking-up to Field Trip Friday? It’s easy, read the guidelines and join the linky below.

Until next month, Happy Field Trippin’!

A Few More National Parks We’ve Enjoyed Visiting Over the Years

In case you missed it, this week is National Park Week.  The parks that charge admission are offering free entrance to the parks until Sunday, April 24th so you still have time to enjoy a park near you.

This week I’ve shared our trip to The Wright Brothers National Memorial at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, our favorite park- Assateague Island National Seashore, and ten National Parks that I want to visit on our trip West.  I’d like to wrap up the week by sharing a few of the posts I’ve written in the past about some of our National Park adventures along with a tip or two for each.

When my husband and I got married nearly 19 years ago, we decided that we were going to honeymoon at Mammoth Caves National Park. Our wedding wasn’t one of those beautiful, elaborate weddings. It was more along the lines of “let’s get married on Thursday’ sort of thing and off we went. We didn’t plan anything, which was really a bummer because when we arrived at Mammoth Caves early in the morning, we discovered that all the tours were sold for the day.

Since then we’ve visited Mammoth Caves and made the trip underground several times. If anyone asks me for tips I always recommend that you purchase your tour tickets in advance regardless of what time of year you plan to visit and remember that Mammoth Caves is in Central Standard Time- just in case you’re heading from a different time zone.    

Sometimes visiting a National Park doesn’t require a great deal of travel. We’re fortunate to have one of those gems about an hour from our home in Alabama. Russell Cave National Monument has become a favorite place to stop and stretch our legs on the way to Chattanooga or Atlanta.  You may enjoy reading about our first visit- especially the hike- and then see how our opinion changed after our second visit. All I can say is don’t try the hike if the ground is wet. If you read my post, you’ll understand what I mean. 

Our trip to the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island certainly brings back fond memories. We grabbed the ferry from the New Jersey side, which was less crowded, and I remember when I saw Miss Liberty for the first time as the ferry pulled around Ellis Island, it was breathtaking. I used our trip to New York to show how our travels have extended into our homeschool classroom.  If you plan to travel to New Jersey or New York to see this National Landmark allow plenty of time. The traffic can really back up so plan to have plenty of car games handy for the little ones along for the ride. In fact, you can print the Jr. Ranger booklet before you leave home and your children can work on it along the way.    

The menfolk or history buffs in the household won’t turn down visiting a battlefield. My kids loved reading  Across Five Aprils *when they realized that we’d the majority of battlefields mentioned in the book. One of the battlefields that they really enjoyed touring was the Chickamauga-Chattanooga National Military Park. If you plan to see the entire park make sure you allow plenty of time. An hour or two isn’t enough time to explore the Visitor’s Center, battlefield and Lookout Mountain. Many of the national parks are also now offering cell phone tours and Chickamauga-Chattanooga National Military Park is one of them so make sure you don’t miss it. 

Now it’s your turn. Which National Parks have you enjoyed visiting?

*Just so you know, the link for Across Five Aprils is an affiliate link.

Our Favorite National Park: Assateague Island National Seashore

I can imagine myself in a beautiful beach house that sits on a cliff overlooking the ocean below. My dream home would have floor to ceiling windows, minus curtains because it’d be far from civilization. Everything in my home would be white,  or shades of white. The entire home would be pristine. I’ve dreamed of this home since I was a small girl and vacationed with my family for the first time in the Outer Banks and later in Chincoteague, Virginia.

Perhaps it’s because of that incredible vacation, my first real trip out of state and to the ocean that Assateague Island National Seashore holds a special place in my heart. Of all the National Parks that we’ve been to over the years, I’d have to say to date that this one is without a doubt, my favorite.

When my husband and I visited Washington D.C. with our kids several years ago, I’d planned a quick stopover in Assateague for some R & R, somewhere away from the busyness of our nation’s capital. Assateague Island National Seashore in Maryland didn’t disappoint. The first day anyway.

I’d planned to camp at a nearly primitive campsite. It cost less than $20 a night, provided a port-a-pot, cold showers and drinking water. Not ideal, but the beach was literally a two minute walk and that part was nearly perfect.     

We pitched our tent in the beautiful, balmy, seventy degree weather….

gathered our beach toys….

and left the Wild Ponies behind in our campsite….

as we headed for the beach.

I remember commenting to my husband that we should stay for several days but he cautioned me to take it slow, after all we enjoy camping, but prefer electricity and warm running water.

That night, the wind kicked up and if it hadn’t been for the extra long tent spikes I’d had the forethought to buy, I’m sure our tent would have blown away with us in it. We spent the night rocking back in forth in the minivan and awoke the next morning to a drizzly cold front.

No, I’m not angry, my face is red because I really was freezing! Needless to say we didn’t stick around long. We trotted down the beach for a quick walk in search of seashells and hightailed it back to the campsite, to tear down and hit the road.

We drove about 2-3 hours to the other side of the park in Virginia. I can’t say it was much warmer but they did have a really nice Visitor’s Center with a touch tank and bird viewing station.

My kids even completed the Jr. Ranger program.

   

We’ve visited Assateague Island National Seashore several times since our camping fiasco. We’ve not ever tried to camp again, but we have enjoyed beachcombing, bird watching and walking along the trails with the wildlife, mainly the famous Assateague ponies.

Just a bit of friendly advice, if you plan to camp at Assateague, you may prefer camping near the bay instead of the ocean side. It’s more protected from the winds that often kick up. Don’t forget your extra long tent stakes and make sure you don’t leave anything uncovered in your campground! We made the mistake of leaving the back of our van open only to find a pony nosing around our things. And he wasn’t in too big of a hurry to leave either!  

Have you ever gone on a vacation and decided it was better after it was over?

Ten National Parks that I Want to Visit

My family has traveled pretty extensively East of the Mississippi. Sure there are some regions that we’ve yet to explore, like the New England States, but other than that, I think we’ve visited every other state at least once.

It’s time that we venture West a bit and we’re hoping that 2011 is the year that dream will finally come true. We’re busy planning a trip to Seattle, Washington and along the way we’d like to spend time in some of the National Parks. I know we won’t have time to explore them all but if time and money were no object, here are ten that I’d love to visit.

1. The Gateway Arch, which is part of the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial,  in St. Louis, Missouri

How could we not enter the West without visiting the Museum of Westward Expansion? This just seems like a logical stop to me.     

2. Mt. Rushmore National Memorial, South Dakota

For as long as I remember, I’ve wanted to see Mt. Rushmore. This is a definite stop, even if we have to drive out of our way to get there! 

3. Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, Montana and Idaho

Any park that spans three states is worthy of a vacation all on it’s own. Unfortunately we won’t have the luxury to fully explore Yellowstone this time around but we can’t travel out West and miss stepping foot in the very first National Park.  I haven’t even begun to plan this stop, but I know my family will want to see some of the hot springs and Old Faithful.  My boys probably wouldn’t be too disappointed if they saw a bear, bison or elk and as long as they weren’t too close, I’d be okay with that too.

4. The Badlands National Park, South Dakota

The Badlands have been recommended to me on more than one occasion and the pictures certainly look beautiful, though I’ve been told that they really don’t do the area justice. I guess it’s just one of those places that you have to see for yourself.

5. Crater Lake National Park, Oregon

I didn’t even know such a beautiful picture perfect place existed until I participated in a post card exchange when my children were younger. We received a picture of a mountain reflected in a beautiful lake. Ahhh….how could we resist?

6. Mt. Rainier Glacier National Park, Washington

This stop is personal, a dear friend of ours that has since passed often spoke fondly of her visits to Mt. Rainier and encouraged us to visit if we ever had to the chance. This stop is for her, our dearly missed adopted grandmother. 

7. Mt. St. Helen’s National Volcanic Monument, Washington

I was in 4th grade when this volcano blew its top. I still remember being envious when a classmates’ grandparent’s sent him a jar of ash. It’s time for me to go buy my own bottle of dust. 

8. The Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona

If we are able to make it to this National Park on this trip, I will be amazed for more reasons than one.

9. Mesa Verde National Park, Colorado

If we do make it a bit South this time around, I don’t want to miss the opportunity to check out the cliff dwellings.

10. Carlsbad Caverns National Park, New Mexico

It seems that I keep adding and adding to our trip. See, that’s my problem. I just never know when to stop.

Have you been to any of these National Parks? I’d love to hear any tips that you have to offer or recommendations of other parks that you really loved- especially those in the Northwest.  

This post is linked to Oh Amanda’s Top Ten Tuesday.

The Wright Brothers Memorial, one of our Favorite National Parks

My family loves to visit National Parks. You can bet that if there is a National Park along our route anytime we take a trip, we try to fit it in if at all possible. We’ve been fortunate to have walked in some of the nations most historic and scenic parks and we look forward to seeing even more of what the National Park system has to offer when we take a trip out West later this year.

I have a hard time determining our favorite park because with the exception of two, we’ve loved them all. And we can’t really blame having a bad day or family squabble against the two that didn’t win high marks, now can we?

I asked my husband and asked my kids which parks they have loved and though the Great Smokey Mountains, the Statue of Liberty, and Shiloh National Battlefield have all received a thumbs up, there is one that we think was really fun. 

When we first began traveling with my husband’s job, one of our first stops was to Virginia Beach. I loved temporarily living in the Hampton Roads area- there was certainly no shortage of things to do and with Jamestown, Yorktown and Colonial Williamsburg about an hour away, it’s great for those that love American History.

Centrally located, Virginia Beach is an easy three hour drive to Eastern Virginia, home of Assateague Island National Seashore and the Wild Ponies of Chincoteague, while three hours in the opposite direction leads you to the famous Outer Banks of North Carolina. It was there that we found Fort Raleigh, home of the Lost Colony.

You’re probably aware of the mystery surrounding this National Historic Site.  Fort Raleigh is now known as the Lost Colony because the colonists, which included Virginia Dare, the first English child born in the New World, disappeared without a trace in the late 1580’s.     

Though we enjoyed our visit here, I have to admit that we were all a bit creeped out by the disappearance of the colonists. We’d also arrived too early in the season to enjoy the beautiful Elizabethan Gardens that I’d seen as a child or to enjoy The Lost Colony Outdoor Drama that has been performed since 1937.

Our really fun stop was located minutes away at Kitty Hawk, the Wright Brothers National Memorial. This stop didn’t appeal to me. In fact, I really didn’t care to go. We were from Ohio, we’d heard so much about the Wright Brothers. I thought we’d stop for a minute, see where they’d taken their first flight and hit the road. I had no idea what I was in for.

This National Park site has easily become one of our favorites in part because of the Rangers.  We spent about an hour and a half at the memorial and really should have allowed more time for our visit. Since my kids were younger then, they participated in the Jr. Ranger program, and LOVED it. They took part in a fun scavenger hunt that led them around the grounds, and we sat in on one of the Ranger’s demonstrations where he described the hardships that the Wright Brothers endured as they attempted to get their plane off the ground. 

The Ranger’s gave us free educational material, pointed out a nutria on the property (a rodent much like a ground hog),  and gave the kids permission to fly Styrofoam gliders on the grounds before we rushed off as the gates closed.  This was certainly a fun and educational stop and one I’m glad that we didn’t miss.    

 

If you’d like to share some of your National Park stories, you can join the link-up on my post from last week.  

What has been your most memorable National Park experience, and why?

Russell Cave National Monument: One of the Best Hikes in Northern Alabama

Last week, the kids and I accompanied one of the homeschool groups that we belong to on a naturalist led hike at Russell Cave National Monument. You’ve heard me mention this amazing attraction several times before because not only is it one of my favorite places to visit in Northern Alabama, it is now on my list of favorite fall hikes.

We arrived at Russell Cave National Monument, viewed the small museum display and began our tour by watching a short 7 minute movie. The video gave a brief history of the cave while focusing on the  story of its joint excavation by the National Geographic Society and Smithsonian Institution.  

Next we took a quick walk along the broadwalk to the cave entrance. Once inside, one of the Park Ranger’s, who is also the Park Historian shared more of the history of the cave with us.  We heard about the nomadic people that once frequented the Russell Cave following food and seeking shelter during the cold winter months; a great lesson in the early people of Alabama. We learned about the hunting practices of the Indians at Russell Cave, how they would hunt deer by camouflaging themselves with deer skins and antlers. Apparently, they were pretty believable because they have found at least one hunter killed by an arrow while dressed for the hunt and believe he died as a result of an accidental shooting.

It was also interesting to learn that they would fish by throwing the powder from crushed Buckeyes into the stream leading to the cave. The powder, which is poisonous to humans would paralyze the fish and they would float to the top of the water allowing the Indians to scoop them out one by one.  

We also learned about the excavation of the cave. Did you know that archaeologists do when they find fossilized poo? They can warm the feces which will soften it and then they go through it to see what people at that time, thousands of years ago, ate. Sounds like a smelly job to me.  Gross tidbit of information, but memorable.

A weapons demonstration followed the cave talk and ended with the opportunity to try out an atlatl, bow & arrow and blow gun.

The atlatl was hooked to the spear, increasing its power up to three times.

   

Though we enjoyed each aspect of the field trip, our favorite part was the hike along the nature trail. Not only is the naturalist that we accompanied very knowledgeable, but we were also pleased with ourselves for finishing this short hike after the ordeal we faced the first time we attempted it. (You really do need to go read that, and let me just say that 80ish degrees in the fall is much different than 80ish degrees in late spring here in Alabama! ) 

The trail is still mainly up, up and up, but the fall foliage was certainly a site to see, especially when you were at the top and able to look down over the trail to see the rock outcroppings strewn along the path below. It was quite beautiful. I will warn you that though this is a paved hike, it is steep heading up and heading down so be prepared to give yourself plenty of time to rest along the way. You’ll be happy to know that after every major incline, you’ll find benches available so you can rest and catch your breath if needed. Though the park service says this is a 1.2 mile hike, I can’t count the times I heard someone gasping, this is only a mile?  I found it interesting that The Falcon Guide: Hiking Alabama  claims that the hike is a bit longer at 2 miles in length and it certainly feels longer yet. 

This was an incredible outing and though we’ve enjoyed the times we’ve been there on our own as a family, it was that much better going with friends.

The kids and I recently began reading about Alabama state history, now that we are official residents and I’ve decided that we will incorporate many field trips into our study. Russell Cave National Monument was a great place to start.  

If you stopped by for Field Trip Friday, make sure to read this post to find out about the changes taking place and don’t forget to stop back next week for the 1st monthly edition of Field Trip Friday!

Until next week~ Happy Field Trippin’!

C is for Cave

C stands for a lot of things like cat, crystal, cool, cautious, calendar and coyote but I didn’t have a picture that would represent any of those things. However, I do have a….CAVE.   

Taken at Russell Cave National Park in Bridgeport, Alabama.

And the Winner Is…

#1

The Statue of Liberty  

#2

Assateague Island National Seashore, MD

#3

Mammoth Caves National Park, KY

#4

Richmond National Battlefield Park, VA

#5

Yorktown National Battlefield, VA 

Part of Colonial National Historical Park

#6

Jamestown National Historic Site, VA

Part of Colonial National Historical Park

#7

Wright Brothers National Memorial, NC 

#8

Which I removed, was indeed the Alamo (good answer Brook!) 

However, the Alamo is not a National Park. I mistakenly thought it was included in the San Antonio Missions National Park, but when I double checked, I realized it is not.  

And the Winner of Frommer’s 500 Places to Take Your

Kids Before they Grow Up is…

…drum roll please…

Teacher of One !!!

Congratulations,

and Thank You

 to everyone who entered

the contest. It truly was neck

in neck.

Field Trip Friday: Chickamauga-Chattanooga National Military Park

After driving past the Chickamauga-Chattanooga National Military Park several times on our trips from Alabama to Atlanta, we finally allowed ourselves plenty of time to stop and explore last spring. This battlefield in Northern Georgia was the first to become a national military park and was used as a model for those that would follow- Gettysburg, Shiloh and Vicksburg. We began our tour at the Visitor's Center where we enjoyed touring the museum-like exhibits and the impressive collection of firearms from a private collection.
Visitors Center A glimpse at the private firearms exhibit on display. My guys couldn't get enough!
I had no idea they even had grenades in the Civil War!
You won't want to miss watching the free 23-minute film, "The Battle of Chickamauga" that is shown every hour on the hour. If you're from the North, you'll leave with a better appreciation of the South's opinion of the war.

The seven-mile driving tour will allow you to see the major points of interest in the park. You can enhance your tour by purchasing an audio tour from the bookstore, or you can also access the Dial and Discover service on your cell phone free, depending on your usage terms. For some reason, we weren't able to access any information after the 7th stop, but that could have just been a glitch the day we visited. Along the tour, not only will you hear about the events that took place leading to a short lived victory for the South, you'll also see over 600 monuments recognizing all the regiments that participated in the battle.




This home was used as a field hospital during the battle.
Although the South won the battle, the Union managed to gain control of Chattanooga, the gateway to the Deep South, as they'd hoped.

Today as you visit, it's hard to believe that such a beautiful, serene setting was once the site of one of the bloodiest battles in the Civil War. '


While we spent several hours exploring only the Chickamauga Battlefield before the impending rain clouds chased us away. If you're in the area and you're interested, you may also choose to visit Lookout Mountain Battlefield, Point Park, Missionary Ridge and the Chattanooga National Cemetery.

There you have it, a bit about our day at the Chickamauga-Chattanooga National Military Park.

Chattanooga